"But in the midst of this insanity / I found my Christianity / Through God, and that's a wish He granted me / He taught me how to cope with the stress / And hope for the best / Instead of always mopin' depressed."
Even the most devoted Eminem fan might fail to recognize the aforementioned lyric from the rapper's salad days. In the years that have passed since the rapper began making a name for himself through his demo tapes and freestyle rap contest performances, Marshall Mathers became one of the biggest names in the history of the hip-hop genre, using his clever lyrical stylings to vent the frustrations of a troubled childhood and a marriage that can best be described as a love-hate relationship.
After nearly half a decade away from the limelight, Eminem has released Relapse, an album that is sure to satisfy old fans but unlikely to generate any new ones. Given the success of his musical wheel in years past, Eminem clearly sees no need in trying to reinvent it now. The result is an album that old fans will embrace. However, the lack of originality or growth in the new disc makes it unlikely that the album will broaden the rapper's fan base.
The Eminem Album Formula
Each album in the Eminem catalogue features a similar format. Start with an inexplicably catchy sample for the album's initial radio release. ("My Name Is," "The Real Slim Shady," and "Without Me" are prime examples.) On Relapse, "We Made You" fits the bill. As in the aforementioned cases, the first single is marked by plenty of pop culture references. Jessica Simpson, Kim Kardashian, Lindsay Lohan, and Sarah Palin are just a few of the song's targets.
The next ingredient is the Marshall Mathers biography -- with special attention paid to the less flattering elements of the story, of course. This time around, Mathers has chosen to ignore past problems with former wife Kim (the one he fantasized about killing on The Slim Shady CD and the Marshall Mathers CD). In her place, Eminem's mother bears the brunt of the rapper's attacks. Most notably, "My Mom" recounts his life as the son of a drug-addicted mother.
Add some beats from Dr. Dre and a few cameos from Eminem's friends (a la "Forgot About Dre," Guilty Conscience," and "Business"). Dre and 50 Cent make guest appearances on the disc, but their performances are pedestrian at best. (The 50 Cent cameo is altogether unnecessary.)
Then add liberal doses of misogyny, gross-out humor, violent fantasies, and just enough homophobia to make listeners wonder whether the gentleman doth protest too much -- and wait for the cash to roll in. The formula has worked for Eminem in the past, and it likely will work again.
However, there is nothing new on Relapse.
His drug problems? Objective listeners (and many not-so-objective ones) have seen this coming for years. The album's inevitable popularity will reflect the lack of originality in mainstream hip hop. The genre has been marred by so many lackluster releases of late -- consider this year's list of Grammy nominees, for instance -- that this not-so-new Eminem release will be regarded as a breath of fresh air.
Michael Irvin Arrington - Michael Irvin Arrington teaches in the Department of Communication at the University of Kentucky, where he studies interpersonal, family, ...
